Mario Canseco: Media outlets abandon comments as mudslinging grows

With more than half of Canadians disinterested in what the comments section says — and fewer than one-in-five acknowledging that they go through comments on a daily basis when they visit news websites — it is time to re-evaluate whether this type of engagement tool is worth maintaining.

In the early stages of the presidential candidacy of Donald Trump, a hilarious — if troubling — social media idea took hold in North America. Watching Trump speak, it was written and illustrated in different ways, was like having “a comments section running for president”.

In the early years of this century, a similar comment would have been regarded as remarkably positive. The World Wide Web was young, cautious and polite. Having the ability to post comments attached to a person’s name or email address seemed — for the most part — to bring the best in people. Those of us old enough to remember groups that began with the letters “alt” can recall specific instances where ideas were discussed with other individuals, and where disagreements did not immediately lead to personal attacks.

Now, as the label that has been placed on Trump suggests, being a comments section is akin to insults, racism and inappropriate venues for sales and pitches. Over the past few months, Trump mocked a differently-abled reporter at a press conference, suggested that specific countries only export their worst citizens to the United States, and appeared to peddle steaks at one of his press conferences. Yes, he was like a comments section.

When it comes to comments sections, we are not where we were in 2000. Instead of a forum for meaningful thought, what we have now in most websites is a fight between supporters or opponents of a particular point of view or policy, hurling mud at one another, usually with the benefit of anonymity. Sometimes the only rest for those who read the comments section is a random posting from a person claiming to be making $50,000 a day from the comfort of their home.

It is understandable that well-established media outlets are getting tired of allocating resources to maintain these forums. The Toronto Star abandoned comments altogether. The CBC is taking steps to ensure that users post under their real names. This newspaper asks people to log on through Facebook, in an effort to at least compel readers to attach their views with their true identity — a good first step in eliminating trolls.

For starters, most Canadians who rely on websites for information are noticeably disinterested in the comments section

But the question remains: Do readers care about this? Insights West took a look at the way Canadians are consuming news online, with the intention of figuring out just how many find the comments section appealing and how many actively participate in it.

For starters, most Canadians who rely on websites for information are noticeably disinterested in the comments section. More than half of them (54 per cent) say they read comments “some of the time” or “never”, and just 18 per cent read them on a daily basis. Active participation is decidedly lower. Four-in-five (80 per cent) say they leave their own comments on the forms “some of the time” or “never.”

Some of the reasons for the decidedly low incidence of comment readers and comment makers have to do with language. Two-in-five Canadians (41 per cent) say the comments they have encountered when they are browsing for news online are “insulting,” and a similar proportion deems them “ignorant” (39 per cent), while 23 per cent say they found them “racist.”

It has taken two decades for the World Wide Web to go from a forum of free expression where users could be trusted to self-regulate and use suitable language to a virtual free-for-all where properly conducted and researched news items share the same space with comments related to a politician’s looks. “Letters to the Editor” may not convey immediate gratification for those who feel a need to complain, but they force the writer to be more thoughtful. Feedback forms are not checked for bias, accuracy or even grammar.

Social media has enabled us to complain more than ever before, but it has failed to endow users with the ability to think before they type. With more than half of Canadians disinterested in what the comments section says — and fewer than one-in-five acknowledging that they go through comments on a daily basis when they visit news websites — it is time to re-evaluate whether this type of engagement tool is worth maintaining. It is evident that most Canadians don’t really care, and it is unclear if any comment has ever led to better journalism.

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